Budget Friendly Fall Date Night

Happy fall, love birds! To celebrate the first official day of autumn, we wanted to give you a couple of budget friendly date night recipes to enjoy with your boo thang. This time of year is perfect for a fire, hot cocoa, & cuddles. Start your fall off right with a fun-filled date night!

Butternut Squash Chili

Ingredients:

-2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch chunks

-1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

-1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

-1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained

-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, plus 2 tablespoons for sautéing

-1 cup cooked quinoa

-1 yellow bell pepper, diced

-2 chipotle peppers, chopped

-5 garlic cloves, minced

-1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon pepper

-Cilantro for garnish

-Toppings, such as avocado, tortilla chips, and cheese

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth in a large pot over medium heat.

Add garlic, chipotle peppers, and butternut squash to the pot, cooking for about 10 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add more vegetable broth if the pot gets dry.

Add the bell pepper, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

Add black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes (including the liquid in the can), 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, quinoa, and all the spices (paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper). Mix well. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes. Check that the butternut squash is cooked; if not, simmer for longer.

Serve in a bowl and garnish with cilantro. Add toppings as desired — avocado chunks, tortilla chips, and cheese are all great toppings!

Cozy up together and enjoy. Next, is a fall favorite dessert drink!

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

-4 cups milk

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/4 cup cocoa

-1/3 cup water

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-2 teaspoons sea salt

-2 tablespoons f hazelnut syrup (or Starbucks toffee nut syrup)

-2 tablespoon caramel sauce or caramel drizzle

-1 can Reddi Whip

Instructions:

Mix sugar, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add water and boil for 1 minute.

Add milk and heat until warm.

Mix in vanilla, hazelnut syrup, and caramel sauce.

Pour into coffee cup and top with Reddi Whip, caramel drizzle, and sea salt.

Take Time to Connect

Now, you can take time to connect with your S.O. and chat while sipping your hot chocolate. Communication tip: Set a timer for 15 minutes and allow your partner to talk about anything they want without interruptions, then vice versa. The key here is to talk about whatever! Talk about the things that are weighing on you or maybe just catch up after a long week. Either way, you’re both getting quality communication in!

Jade Allen

Jade is sassy like a Georgia peach, queen of the stank face and best known for her selective hearing. Her favorite past time is kicking her boyfriend’s butt at 1 v. 1 soccer. She enjoys long slow walks down the aisles of target and buying clothes in every shade of black. 😉 Keep up with her on social media @r.jade.a